Chapter 2, utterly devoid of conscience

At noon, the county police arrived, inquired about some witnesses, took some photographs, and brought professional diving equipment. Unfortunately, in the end, they did not find the baby's body

The infant mysteriously vanished after falling into the well

In the midst of the chaos, it was unclear who shouted, but several women rushed forward, using all their strength to hold her down. In her current state, if she were to get close to the well's edge, she might very well jump in out of desperation

Hong Qingsheng's wife has already been covered with a blanket, yet I still seem to feel that resentful gaze emanating from beneath the thick blanket. I am filled with unease, as I always sense that something is about to happen from the look in her eyes

My child, my child

... ...

"Who can swim? Dive down to save the person, be quick!" My swimming skills are poor, so I can only look for someone else.

The people outside were momentarily bewildered, unsure of what he intended to do

I, along with Ma Jialiang and Ma Yong, stood guard outside the mourning pavilion. In addition to us, there was another person, Hong Qingsheng's only daughter, named Hong Xiaoyun. She is already in her teens, but unfortunately, she is mentally unstable and cannot speak. Her father has gone mad, and her mother and younger brother have died, yet I have never seen her cry. She sits in the mourning pavilion with a blank expression, like a puppet.

People rushed into Hong Qingsheng's house in a flurry to search for things. The first item found was a flashlight. I took it and hurriedly turned it on to shine inside, but I found nothing on the water's surface; the baby was gone.

After dinner, those who helped returned to their homes to prepare for tomorrow, while I and several unmarried young men from the village were left by the village head to keep watch overnight. This is also a customary practice during funerals, as young men with their virginity and strong yang energy are less likely to encounter mishaps while keeping watch.

Quickly bring the rope and the bucket

The six of us divided the tasks; the three young men from the Chen family are watching over Hong Qingsheng, who has been locked in a room since he went mad in the afternoon, out of fear that he might cause a disturbance

Fortunately, as a university student, I still hold some prestige in the village. A thirteen-year-old boy named Chen Shuisheng from the Chen family stepped forward and said, "Brother Chun, I will do it."

I made a desperate leap, my fingertips merely brushed against the infant's placenta, but I could not grasp it

bastard

There were not as many people as us at Gao Mingchang's place. Those who were beaten fled in a disheveled manner, even abandoning their cars. After chasing them for a while and seeing them escape, we vented our anger on those two cars, smashing them to pieces inside and out

Among those who remained, there are two who are my paternal cousins, one is Ma Jialiang, and the other is Ma Yong. In terms of blood relation, the three of us share the same great-grandfather. Additionally, there are three descendants from the Chen family.

Everyone present, including myself, was terrified; many screamed and ran away, creating a scene of chaos

Elders have said that Hong Village once changed its name, but after the renaming, strange occurrences began to happen in the village, and there were consecutive deaths. Later, an old Taoist priest came to the village and stated that the name Hong Village could suppress the village's fortune and should not be changed. The villagers, half believing and half doubting, followed the priest's advice, and indeed, after reverting to the original name, those strange occurrences never happened again

With a thud, the sound of water falling was heard from the depths of the well

I could hardly heed his words; when my leg cramped up, I grabbed a nearby pole and swung it at him. At that moment, a few of Gao Mingchang's nephews and his wife came up to intervene, so I struck at them as well. They retaliated, and then all my own brothers and uncles rushed in to assist me, leading to a chaotic brawl.

At this moment, Gao Mingchang no longer dared to resist, rolling on the ground after being kicked by me, crying out in agony: "I didn't mean to, I don't know what happened just now, please don't hit me..."

Certainly, this is just one perspective; the root cause may still be the mutual competition among the three major surnames, which is why it could not be resolved

Quick, save the person!

I clenched my teeth and kicked Gao Mingchang several steps away, then rushed to the edge of the well to look down. The well was too deep, the opening too small, and it was pitch black, making it impossible to see anything. After the child fell into the water, there was no sound.

I curse your ancestors

In the village, the Ma and Chen families have the largest population, accounting for almost 80 percent. The Chai family is not numerous, but their influence is significant, with several members holding official positions in the town and even in the county. Gao Mingchang initially married Chai Jinhua because he recognized the connections behind the Chai family.

She stared with wide eyes, filled with endless resentment, unable to close them in death

... ...

From the name, it seems that everyone in Hong Village has the surname Hong, but that is not the case. The village is home to three major surnames: Ma, Chai, and Chen, along with a few scattered minor surnames. The Hong surname is the rarest in the village, represented only by the Hong Qingsheng household. Logically, during the night watch, the three major surnames of Ma, Chai, and Chen should all send representatives, but now the Ma and Chen families have sent people, while the Chai family has not sent anyone at all. It is unclear whether this is due to a sense of guilt or fear.

Her words sent a chill down my spine, and in the next moment, I saw her, with an unknown surge of strength, dash forward and slam her head against the well railing. With a loud "thud," blood splattered everywhere

Thus, Hong Qingsheng's wife was killed by a collision at the edge of the well railing, with blood flowing everywhere

I am so furious that I could explode; I ran over and kicked Gao Mingchang to death. This beast actually committed such a heinous act against an infant.

I understand what he means. Gao Mingchang is the son-in-law of the Chai family, and his wife, Chai Jinhua, is from our village. Today, the Chai family must bear half of the responsibility for this matter

I felt a wave of disappointment; regardless of whether the child was found or not, they are already gone

That heart-wrenching cry makes one's nose tingle

Not long after, Hong Qingsheng returned from outside, a dark and thin man, slightly hunched, with a face weathered by hardship. Upon seeing his wife's corpse, he cried until he fainted, his spirit severely shaken. After that, he began to mutter incoherently, and it wasn't long before he went mad. At his wife's funeral, he jumped and laughed, his mouth crooked, saliva dripping all over the ground

Ma Yong and I exchanged a few harsh words, and the three of us, feeling bored, began to play the landlord game. Gradually, the night deepened, and the mountain breeze blew in, cool and refreshing. Above the spirit altar, a dim yellow light flickered, swaying in the wind.

The scene immediately erupted in chaos

Take the flashlight

My heart sank as well; it has been seven or eight minutes, and there is still no news from the bottom of the well. The hope for her child's survival is already slim, at best they will retrieve the body.

At that moment, Hong Qingsheng's wife sat up with a blank expression, and then she began to laugh, a laugh devoid of any anger, very calm, so calm that it sent chills down my spine. I knew this was not true calmness, but rather a resentment taken to the extreme, a hatred that had nowhere left to go, exuding endless desolation

After venting for a while, my anger subsided somewhat. At this moment, I noticed Hong Qingsheng's wife lying quietly on the ground, no longer calling out or making a fuss. Perhaps it was because she had just given birth and lacked strength, or perhaps it was due to a loss of hope, as her eyes appeared lifeless like ashes.

This sudden turn of events left everyone stunned, and after a long pause, someone finally screamed: "Murder!"

"The Chai family is truly despicable; not a single person has come. They have really hardened their hearts." Ma Jialiang said angrily as he watched Hong Xiaoyun's back.

The Hong family has come to an end, the Hong family has come to an end. Hong Qingsheng's wife sat up, murmuring nervously, "Everyone must be buried with them, everyone must be buried with them"

After a while, there was finally news from underground. Chen Shuisheng was pulled up by us. His lips were frozen white, and as soon as he came up, he began to vomit water, yet he had nothing in his hands, not even a flashlight.

I saw Gao Mingchang rush towards the ancient well, realizing that it was not a good idea. He charged forward, but he was still a bit far away. By the time he reached the edge of the ancient well, he had already raised his hand and forcefully smashed the baby into the well.

We hurriedly wrapped the flashlight in a transparent plastic bag and handed it to him, then lowered him down with a water bucket. The child indeed had excellent swimming skills; after entering the water, he flipped his body and dove in. From above, a faint light point could be seen quickly sinking into the depths, and soon it became difficult to see.

The women beside her were so frightened by her laughter that they kept retreating, letting her go

I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine, and at that moment, the faint sound of a baby's cry drifted into my ears

By the time everyone finished setting up the temporary shelter, it was already dark.

Gao Mingchang flicked away his cigarette butt, unexpectedly kicked open the door and rushed inside, followed by a series of startled screams from within. When he emerged, he was holding a wet newborn in his hands, with the umbilical cord still attached and the placenta dangling loosely.

Hehehe ... ...

When it comes to Hong Village, one must mention the origin of the village's name. The reason is not that the villagers have the surname Hong, but rather because there is a large stone tablet at the entrance of the village, supported by a turtle, on which the character "Hong" is inscribed

He rushed towards the ancient well with red eyes, cursing as he went: "I let you be born, I let you be born!"

The Hong family was a solitary household, without brothers or nephews. In the end, the funeral had to be presided over by the village head, Ma Yongde. Each family sent a laborer to assist with the arrangements for the funeral. The men constructed the mourning pavilion, purchased the coffin, and prepared the funeral supplies, while the women washed vegetables, cooked meals, and gathered some miscellaneous items

Quickly hold her down

... ...

After vomiting for a while, he trembled and said that the well was too deep, he did not reach the bottom, nor did he see the child. Later, the flashlight fell into the water and went out, so he came back up.

At that moment, Hong Qingsheng's wife stumbled out of the house, and several women quickly blocked her, saying that someone had already gone down to search. However, she acted as if she were mad, rolling and crawling, grabbing and biting, desperately trying to get close to the well, and no one could stop her

Fortunately, after a while, the village chief of Hongcun, Ma Yongde, arrived upon hearing the news. Upon witnessing the scene, he repeatedly lamented the tragedy, then organized the villagers to simultaneously call the county police station while sending people out to search for Hong Qingsheng, and also to continue recovering the child's body